As the rest of the crew plummeted toward the ground, they pulled their parachute cords at the last second, bracing for impact.
Philo, Geeli, and Daisy hit the drop zone first, landing tightly together as a synchronized trio. The moment the others touched down nearby, a sudden flash of spatial magic erupted beneath their boots. Haruto looked at all of them and Toya had already collapsed from the jump, before anyone could react, they were forcefully teleported, materializing directly inside a dimly lit, high-tech briefing room.
Right in front of them stood a massive glowing television screen. On the display, footage showed Philo, Daisy, and Geeli standing center-stage in a grand hall, surrounded by cheering crowds.
On screen, Daisy stood up to the microphone, speaking clearly to the audience. "Everyone, meet your founders. These two haven't shown themself now, but starting today, their identities are officially public!"
The crowd roared with applause. However, to keep their true identities hidden from public chaos, both Philo and Geeli on the screen were wearing sleek, high-tech digital masks covering their faces—leaving only Daisy unmasked.
Haruto stared at the screen in total bewilderment, blinking at his companions standing right beside him. "Wait... what on earth is happening right now?!"
Before anyone could fully process the broadcast on the screen, the heavy metal door at the back of the room slid open with a sharp hiss.
The group stepped out into a luxurious, private lounge belonging to Daisy. As soon as they entered, the automatic sensor lights flickered on, illuminating the lavish room. A quick glance out the reinforced glass windows made everyone's stomachs drop—they were currently stationed on the staggering 312th floor of a massive skyscraper.
Lilith crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the room. "Okay, what even was that whole stunt?"
Professor Elara adjusted her glasses, her analytical mind spinning. "There was definitely something engineered about that broadcast..."
Ivory blinked, looking around blankly. "Huh? Did something happen?"
Marena tilted her head, her cat ears twitching as she looked at the unfamiliar decor. "Oh. Well, where are we supposed to be now?"
Serephin nodded in agreement, looking around the high-rise suite. "Yeah, exactly where are we?"
Professor Elara sighed, rubbing her temples. "Whose house is this anyway?"
Haruto shook his head, throwing his hands up. "It doesn't belong to any of us. This is Daisy's place. We're not staying here, let's just leave—"
Before Haruto could even finish his sentence and reach the exit, the sliding doors behind them chimed open again.
Philo, Geeli, and Daisy walked right into the lounge, looking completely relaxed. The entire group spun around to stare at them, their brains short-circuiting.
Wait a second... weren't the three of them just standing live on a massive public stage down below a minute ago?!
Haruto threw his hands up in total confusion, staring back and forth between them. "What on earth are you guys doing?! Why were you just on live television? And I have about a dozen other questions—start explaining, right now!"
Daisy chuckled, casually waving a hand as she walked further into the luxury suite. "Relax, calm down. Let me break it down for you."
She gestured toward the massive holographic map projecting from the center of the room, which split Gampi City into three distinct zones. "This city is divided into three major sectors, and each one belongs to one of the three original founders. But here's the catch: the rules and cultures in each sector are completely different."
Philo leaned against the table, crossing her arms. "In each sector, the people treat their respective founders almost like a literal god. Back when this city was first built, the three of us split up and went our separate ways. Geelie and I kept a low profile—people knew we existed as mythic figures, but they didn't know our actual faces, so they just worshipped us from afar as unseen legends."
Geelie chimed in with a lazy shrug, "And as for Daisy, she cleverly spread rumors that she was the direct daughter of the primary founder, positioning herself to take over as the next supreme leader."
Haruto blinked, trying to process the wild lore drop. "Okay, but what does any of that have to do with what just happened out there?"
Daisy smiled wryly. "Because in this city, the sectors don't always get along. The people in the primary sector worship their founder like a deity, but they view the other two founders as malevolent 'devil kings' who threaten their peace. Tensions have been dangerously high."
She pointed toward the screens showing the broadcast footage. "That's why the three of us appearing together on the same stage today wasn't just a random event. It was a calculated political stunt—a public symbol of unity to finally bridge the gap and bring peace between all three factions."
Haruto crossed his arms, finally putting the pieces together. "Oh, is that how it is..."
Philo grinned, walking up to him with a playful glint in her eye. "Say, since we're back where we left off last time, do you want to come check out my secret base?"
Haruto raised an eyebrow. "Uh, why not—?"
Before he could finish, Daisy clapped her hands together to cut him off, tossing a sleek black access card to Lilith. "Alright, enough sightseeing. Since you guys need a proper place to stay while you're in the city, I've got you covered."
Daisy pointed toward Geeli. "Geeli will drop you off at this address. It's a massive, three-story private mansion all to yourselves. You can use it as your base of operations."
Lilith caught the card cleanly out of the air, inspecting it with a nod. "Alright, works for me. Everyone, pack up and let's move out."
As the group started gathering their things to head toward the exit, Marena suddenly slipped up behind Haruto, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and burying her face against his back.
"Nope! Not happening!" Marena protested, her cat ears pinning back as her tail wrapped firmly around his leg. "I'm not letting you out of my sight!"
Haruto instinctively tried to pry her arms loose, grumbling, "Hey, let go of me, we're just moving to a new house!"
He tried to push her away, but seeing how stubborn she was—and feeling the soft twitch of her cat ears brushing against his shoulder—he let out a defeated sigh and finally gave up, letting her tag along as they headed out to the Philo's Base.
Marena squeezed him a little tighter, tilting her head up. "So, where are we heading?"
"To Philo's base first," Haruto replied, gesturing toward the hacker. "She wants to show us something there so we can check it out."
As they reached the hangar area, Philo walked up to a sleek control panel on the wall and pressed a glowing button. With a mechanical hum, a pair of high-tech, aerodynamic flying motorbikes rose up smoothly from hidden slots in the deck.
Haruto's eyes widened slightly. "Whoa... I love those flying bikes?"
"Of course you will," Philo grinned, tapping another sequence into the panel to summon a third one. "Can't have a secret base without the right transport."
Philo quickly dispensed three bikes in total for the group. But before anyone could claim them, Marena hopped directly onto the driver's seat of the first bike, patting the leather cushion behind her with an eager grin. "Come on, Haruto! You're riding right behind me!"
Philo glanced over, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smirk. "Works for me."
Haruto shook his head, holding up a hand. "No, wait—I'll drive."
Marena blinked, then slid off the seat with a soft shrug. "Ah, alright. If you say so." She stepped back, gesturing for him to take the handlebars. "Go ahead, hop on."
As Haruto swung his leg over the sleek machine, a sudden thought crossed his mind. He glanced back at her. You can drive yours. I will drive mine ,but wait can you even drive a bike? I thought you said you were paralyzed back on Earth."
Marena crossed her arms, giving him an amused look. "Of course I can! The accident that left me paralyzed happened later in my life. Before that, I rode bikes all the time."
Before Haruto could process that, Marena suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders with surprising strength, effortlessly lifting him and shifting him back into the passenger seat before hopping on right in front of him. "Now sit still and let the pro handle it."
Haruto blinked, dumbfounded. "Wait—!"
Before he could protest, Marena's hands hit the ignition. As the engine roared to life, a sleek, advanced holographic helmet instantly materialized over both of their heads, locking into place with a soft hum.
Up ahead, Philo tapped her own dashboard and flashed a grin over her shoulder. "Hey, Haruto! Try to keep up, this is going to be a fun ride!"
With a synchronized surge of thrusters, Philo and Marena simultaneously twisted their throttles, rocketing out of the hangar and into the dazzling neon-lit skyways of Gampi City.